Should the motto "In God We Trust" be removed from U.S. currency?

MSNBC ^

[Chong]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10103424/

Atheist challenges ‘In God We Trust’ Pledge of Allegiance foe Newdow sues to remove motto from U.S. currency

updated 9:09 p.m. CT, Fri., Nov. 18, 2005 SAN FRANCISCO - An atheist who has spent four years trying to ban the Pledge of Allegiance from being recited in public schools is now challenging the motto printed on U.S. currency because it refers to God.

Michael Newdow seeks to remove “In God We Trust” from U.S. coins and dollar bills, claiming in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday that the motto is an unconstitutional endorsement of religion.

Newdow, a Sacramento doctor and lawyer, used a similar argument when he challenged the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools because it contains the words “under God.”

[KoRn]

I’d say they should use a bank card, and STFU...

[autumnraine]

There are some “Fundamental Athiests”. They are just as wacko and dogmatic as the most extreme religions.

I read an athiest blog the other day and it was talking about people not wanting to use “Thank God it’s Friday” and how absolutely ridiculous and dogmatic that is. Even the skeptic/atheists recognize the wackos.

I don’t understand how if you don’t believe in something, how is it offensive?

[TMSuchman]

I can answer this in 2 words....

HECK NO!

Our country was founded in a faith in GOD, and it should remain that way.

If we turn our backs on HIM, HE will turn his back on us, and then where will we be.......

[monkeycard]

Should the motto "In God We Trust" be removed from U.S. currency?

No.

[Chong]

Yup!

[Always Right]

Well, if all goes wrong, it could soon be “In Obama We Trust”.

[Chong]

Extremests in any direction is dangerous indeed. Aw geez, shouldn’t they be boycotting TGIF restaurants too???

[RPTMS]

Mikey, if you’re so disgusted with that stuff that says “In God We Trust,” then can I have yours?

[Vision]

No.

[Chong]

In God We DO Trust!

[Chong]

How the heck did it come down to Hussein Osama Obama and McCain? I am still shaking my head.

[Chong]

The BEST answer yet! LOL!

[GOPologist]

There was talk that the Post Office would eliminate or has already done so the words, “IN GOD WE TRUST” from any government items.

My son wrote me an e-mail and suggested that the best way to counteract this stupidity is simple. Write or print the words, IN GOD WE TRUST” on the back of all your envelopes and also, as an aside, print those words as a signature line at the end of all your e-mails.

IN GOD WE TRUST -:)

[Always Right]

How the heck did it come down to Hussein Osama Obama and McCain? I am still shaking my head.

The same way Dole won the GOP nomination, a combination of by default and seniority. Obama won because the far-left wackos thought the Dems had the Presidency in the bag, and they overplayed their hand by nominating someone who shares their wacky views. Hillary would have been much more electable, as she is well versed into how to pretend to be moderate.

[ravensandricks]

I fail to see the importance of this one way or another. I don’t care if they put “In God We Trust” or “Whomp-bomp-a-loom-bop-a-lop-bam-boom” so long as it pays the bills.

[KoRn]

"If we turn our backs on HIM, HE will turn his back on us, and then where will we be.......

I believe that has already happened...

[hunter112]

Our country was founded in a faith in GOD, and it should remain that way.

Then why was that phrase absent from the currency until the Cold War? I'm an atheist who doesn't give a hoot one way or the other, but I'm surprised that religionists don't find it some sort of sacrilege to have the name of their deity on "filthy lucre", as it's called in Timothy.

[Chong]

Great idea.

IN GOD WE TRUST.

[Chong]

Just checked and it’s 49% for yes and 51% for No. Hmmm... Could this have been DUMMIEfied? I’d go over there to check, but don’t feel like bleach bath today...

[Chong]

I ran into some websites that the Hitlary! supports got together backing McCain. Call themselves McCain Dem’s. Ironic, ain’t it? Cat fights on both sides...

[mountainlion]

What do they want on the money “In Liberals We Trust”?

[purpleraine]

Better leave it on. The only thing you can trust about the dollar anymore.

[donmeaker]

Which Religion?

Methodism? Are they the only ones who say G-d?
Reform Judism?
Islam?
Presbyterianism?

Oh, any religion (except atheism). Then it is not offensive to religion, or doesnt support a religion, just doesn’t support YOUR religion, Mr. Newdow.

Yes, I am an atheist. I recognize him as a wacko.

[Congressman Billybob]

The Supreme Court has already ruled on this, in favor of the Motto. Not only should the NewDow case be thrown out, he and his attorney should be ordered to pay fat amounts of fees and costs for filing a frivolous case.

John / Billybob

[Alex Murphy]

*sigh* Newdow again

[A.A. Cunningham]

This is old news from: 18 November 2005

Update from 12 June 2006:

Judge turns down atheist's suit challenging 'In God We Trust'

[Chong]

Yeah, him again. Wonder what that “fragile” soul will be “offended” by next?

[Chong]

OOPS! Maybe I can’t READ! Just noticed the date. Thanks.

Note to self: Do not ASSuME that something is current just because it’s in the inbox.

[mjp]

to remove “In God We Trust”

Then the secular humanists can substitute: in the state we trust

[Chong]

LOVED the way you put it. You get my DITTO.

[Chong]

Hey, I see y’all have been busy. Thanks for all the work you put in.

[P-Marlowe]

Should the motto "In God We Trust" be removed from U.S. currency?

Yes!

We should change it to: "In Jesus Christ We Trust."

I think we need to be a little more specific about the God we place our trust in.

Carry on.

[xzins]

In Jesus Christ we trust

Rotflol!

That'll sail through Congress. They're good at approving things that haven't been true in this nation for a long time.

[navygal]

We should change it to: “In Jesus Christ We Trust.”

I agree .

[guitarplayer1953]

Yes it should be removed for this very reason America does not trust in God anymore.

Because if we did, we would not be interfering in other nations business without being asked. We would not be in debt up to our collective butts either. The list could go on and on.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Great idea. As you said, this country is fairly comfortable with phrases like "some power beyond us" and "master-builder" and "Sasquatch."

It's an intentionally far cry from "Jesus Christ, Lord, Savior, Kinsman Redeemer, Light of the World, and the only reality by whom all things consist."

[Cementjungle]

Michael Newdow seeks to remove “In God We Trust” from U.S. coins and dollar bills, claiming in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday that the motto is an unconstitutional endorsement of religion.

It's not an endorsment of religion, it's just a statement of fact.

[kcvl]

I’d say they should use a bank card, and STFU...

LOL! I agree!

[usmcobra]

In God We Trust....

Everyone else pays cash....

[navygal]

I read this and at the same time am listening to Red Skeletons reciting of the pledge of allegiance.

[kcvl]

Michael Newdow

Michael Newdow: "As I'm standing in line, I'm looking at the twenty dollar bill, and it says 'In God We Trust.' What the heck is this doing here? It just had never hit me. I looked at the ten dollar bill. 'In God We Trust.' And the five and the one and all the change. I thought, 'What is going on here? I don't trust in God. I'm an American.'"

"As I thought about it, I realized that the case to get 'under God' out of the pledge was stronger."

Atheist Alliance International Convention that's coming up for the weekend of September 25th - 28th

Michael Newdow (the plaintiff in the suit against "under God" in the pledge) and Jeremy Hall (the plaintiff in the suit against atheist discrimination in the army) will be there

******

In his suit, the doctor essentially claimed that his 10-year-old daughter was being brainwashed every time she was prompted to recite the Pledge in her elementary school classroom.

he doesn't have legal standing to sue on behalf of his daughter. The girl's mother, Sandra Banning, happens to be a devout Christian, so no help there.

Newdow claims he was the victim of date rape, perpetrated by Banning during a camping trip at Yosemite National Park. "I specifically said 'no' multiple times before and during [sex]. Was I forced into being a father? Yeah." He also sometimes refers to himself (even in some court documents) as "The Rev. Dr. Michael Newdow, Esq." of the "First Amendmist Church of True Science".

Banning told reporters Wednesday, “The first day of third grade she (her daughter) volunteered — she was the first one to raise her hand to lead the class in reciting the pledge.”

[kcvl]

In 2005, Newdow sued Congress and several federal officials, arguing that making money with the motto on it violated the First Amendment clause requiring the separation of church and state.

Last year, a federal judge in Sacramento disagreed, saying the words did not violate Newdow’s atheism. Newdow appealed.

[navygal]

One thing I will never understand is how people like Newdow trust in man ( which will let us down, and has many times). But not trust in God (who never lets us down).

[kcvl]

Hollywood spent a mind-boggling $180 million to bring author Philip Pullman’s celebrated anti-religious novel, The Golden Compass, to the silver screen, but essentially stripped the work of its devastating attack on organized religion.

On the eve of the film’s release, we asked America’s most famous atheist, Dr. Michael Newdow, how he feels about this. Dr. Newdow is a California attorney and physician best known for his efforts to ban schools from reciting the Pledge of Allegiance because of the phrase “under God.”

By Michael Newdow 12.07.07

While the Catholic League maintains its animus towards The Golden Compass, one hopes that it will support this notion of government neutrality. Unfortunately, that seems unlikely. It was a Catholic organization, after all, that was the key group behind the 1954 alteration of the Pledge of Allegiance. In that year, the Knights of Columbus lobbied Congress to modify the words “one Nation indivisible” so that “one Nation under God, indivisible” (italics added) is what is now recited in our public schools. They still congratulate themselves over the change.

Interestingly, Catholics in the founding era were very much treated like the atheists of today. Our Founding Fathers literally hated the Catholics.

The Rev. Dr. Michael Newdow is a minister in the First Atheist Church of True Science

http://tinyurl.com/6s2r6h

******

atheist story described a Sunday gathering of freethinkers, humanists and atheists at Waterfront Park in Old Sacramento on what was dubbed Freethought Day, “a celebration of reason and church/state separation.”

The story was the page’s centerpiece, with a large photo of Michael Newdow singing into a microphone on a lonely stage with nary another human in sight.

Newdow is Sacramento’s famous atheist, a Godless news magnet.

[kcvl]

Newdow is an atheist and an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church. In 1997, he started an organization called FACTS (First Amendment Church of True Science), which advocates strong separation of church and state in public institutions

He told Brown Alumni Magazine that he can’t remember ever believing in God, saying, “I was born an atheist.”

In a November 14, 2005 interview with Fox News’s Neil Cavuto, Newdow compared “In God We Trust” appearing on United States currency with segregation (specifically separate drinking fountains), saying, “How can you not compare those? What is the difference there? Both of them [whites and blacks] got equal water. They both had access. It was government saying that it’s okay to separate out these two people on the basis of race. Here we’re saying it’s okay to separate two people on the basis of their religious beliefs.”

In November 2002, Newdow was given the Freethinker of the Year award by the Freedom From Religion Foundation following the Pledge case.

[navygal]

Mr, Newdow is just a bitter person.

[Between the Lines]

My son wrote me an e-mail and suggested that the best way to counteract this stupidity is simple. Write or print the words, IN GOD WE TRUST” on the back of all your envelopes and also, as an aside, print those words as a signature line at the end of all your e-mails.

You can legally have your own stamps printed with just about any image, logo or words you wish.

http://www.usps.com/postagesolutions/customizedpostage.htm